Wayne, Naomi, Sydney

some reasons

2011-11-16T14:39:00.000-06:00

my kids…in all honesty, some of the reasons for my anxiety. and yet...the reason I want to change and make our life better.

moderate depressive episode.

2011-11-16T14:34:00.000-06:00

I like the word episode as opposed to episodes…like a bad reality t.v. series with season after season of…episodes.

I was struggling really hard about 2 months ago. Like wanting to throw the laptop through the window, hard.

But, I am me. I can handle it. I don’t need help.

My version of handling it? I nearly lost my voice one day from screaming so hard.

Frustration, embarrassment. Anxiety, denial. Anger, guilt.
And the ever popular Pride, destruction.
(oh, how I hate my pride, but that is another post for another time.)

It all came to a head about 7 weeks ago…and again 4 weeks ago.

Now, I’m getting some help. And it is getting better.

I’m sure there will be occasional reruns, but hopefully the 'episode' will fade from sight and I can get on with my own, real, seasons of life.

fun with fletchers a few weeks ago

2011-10-11T22:05:00.001-06:00

a dirty boy and his 'mayto

2011-10-11T21:46:00.000-06:00

getting dirty playing with his 'twuck'

finding some yummy cherry 'maytos

yummmmmm

the kiddos at about 1 month

2011-09-23T20:13:00.000-06:00

I think Kezia and Sydney look a lot alike.

not the best comparison, but here is what I could find.

And for kicks, the boy-wonder too.

what a lug.

Sydney's first day of 4K

2011-09-06T14:03:00.000-06:00

Kezia - 3 Weeks on Sept. 2

2011-09-06T13:54:00.000-06:00

saving a spot for the kids birthday party ... will add more laterr

2011-09-06T13:49:00.000-06:00

elijah turns 2 - aug. 25

2011-09-04T11:52:00.000-06:00

Mr. Elijah is 2

Sydney turned 4 - Aug. 10

2011-08-22T11:15:00.001-06:00

Sydney turned 4 on Aug. 10th.

She is so proud of being 4.

Sydney has the biggest personality...captured nicely in this photo.

This is the "MooOOOoom!" look.

Slightly confused about how many fingers.

again, with the personality.

figuring the fingers.

out to eat for supper, sydney got a special dessert.

Elijah wants in on the finger action.

so talented.

Sydney's present.

Showing Elijah her hand on the quilt.

Finally finished!!!

Kezia Pics

2011-08-14T18:18:00.000-06:00

Kezia Lily

Aug. 12

7:34am

21.5 inches

9 lbs, 12 oz.

I could never do that...

2011-08-06T21:42:00.003-06:00

...and another common misconceptions.

So, the family got to go to MN the other weekend. We had the most wonderful time! We got to catch up with classmates at our college's annual alumni picnic and spend some time with my (Naomi's) brother and his wife and daughter.

This post is not so much about our time there as it is about an observation...or two.

Some of the best times that weekend were spent with our good friends Jason and Bekah Witt. They are college classmates of ours and they and their lovely 3 little girls are currently home on furlough from their first 3 years serving as missionaries in Kenya. The kids and I were fortunate to be able to catch up with them a few weeks ealier when the spoke at a church up in Green Bay.

Now, I can't remember where I heard it, college or the church, not that the where is important.

Maybe it was inevitable, but someone made the comment,

"I could never do that."

Sounds innocent and honest, right?

Well, while I understand what they meant, I completely disagree with this thought.

What exactly is it that you could never do?

Serve God in the place He calls you to serve?

Live for Jesus in your daily life?

Cuz that is all Jason and Bekah are doing.

(That can sound like I am trivializing their experiences and work, don't get me wrong, that is not the case at all!
These guys are my heros! I am so proud to call them friends.)

They are living out a life we are all called to live...a life of obediance to Christ.

Part of their obedience includes living in Kenya.

Part of obediance to Christ right now for me in my family means learning to love my children with the love of Christ, to push through the struggles and lean on Jesus all the way, not just when I am ready to pull my hair out. To love and repsect my husband and be the wife he needs me to be.

(I am sure much of this post comes out of frustrations with my own walk and lack of faith. This is NOT directed at anyone personally, however I do find the current state of most believers to be truly sad. Living for Christ needs to be our normal life, not just the stuff we think about on Sundays.)

What are some areas you are called to obediance in?

one other common misconception,

"God never gives us more than we can handle."

Really?

Where is that in the Bible?

I think people are thinking of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says:

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

NOTICE, this verse is about temptation, specifically idolatry and immorality if you look into the context. It is not about trials or hardships faced in life.

Or maybe people are thinking more loosely of Philippians 4:13:

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

Again, CONTEXT. The verse is referencing being content in all situations; hungry or fed, living in plenty or in want...read verse 12.

Well, I can hear you say, these verses may not say it directly, but surely the concept can be found in the Bible.

I'm not so sure.

I don't care how organized you are or how much of a motivational speaker you may be...leading several hundred thousand people out of Egypt seems like a task beyond any one man's ability. (Moses)

Who is really strong enough on his own to endure the loss of all of his earthly possesions and his children all in one day? (Job) (If he was able to endure this in his own strength, I would think him a heartless and emotionless person)

I know what you are thinking, well, they did make it through those experiences.

Sure they did, by relying on God for strength, not themselves.

Again, with Philippians 4:13. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."

While most people will quote the whole verse (because it would sound down right arrogant to simply quote, "I can do everything"), I wonder if we mentally edit out or ignore the whole "through HIM who gives me strength" portion of this verse.

Wayne and I have discussed this a lot lately. He comments that God often gives us more than we can bare becuase it forces us to rely on God's strength not on our own. So to say that God never gives us more than we can bear seems to say that He is only going to give us stuff that we can do in our own strength. Which is obviously not true because in scripture we are constantly told to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:16), to abide in Christ and that without Him we can do nothing(John 15:5).

John chapter 15 draws a picture of Jesus as the vine and we are the brances. To think that we can do anything outside of the vine is simply immuture thinking. A branch only gets its life from the vine. The only way the branch can produce fruit is from the nurishment it recieves from the vine.

Back to examples:

What about the guy that jumped on a ship heading in the opposite direction of God's directive? (Jonah)

Did God give him more than he could bear?

If so, where does the fault lay then?

Or what about the many other examples of people chosing their own way over God's directive (also known as sin).

Here's a few verses for perspective:

1 Corinthians 1:27-30

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

FYI, we are the foolish and weak things. I am the foolish and weak thing who thinks she can make sense enough to type out this post about our need for Christ...hopefully it makes some sort of sense to someone. I am the foolish and weak thing that relys too often upon my own strength (or stubborness) to get through the day, to do what is good and pleasing to God. I am the foolish and weak thing, the lowly and despised thing that God has chosen to love and give the status of "child of God."

Lets drop the cookie cutter responses, stop letting the philosophies of the world influence the church, and get back to the solid foundation...God and His Word.

I think the lawn needs a little work...

2011-08-02T20:58:00.001-06:00

We've been very focused on the inside of the house,

and I think that the lawn is suffering just a bit.

I'm pretty sure you should not have to mow the driveway.

or prune the trees in the gutters

or not be able to find your garden...yes, there is a garden in there somewhere.

oh wait, there is some of the garden! of course, the tomato cages are always easy to spot.

can I just say...

2011-07-30T11:30:00.000-06:00

how much I hate the phrase:

Just do what makes you happy/feel good!

It is such a worldly philosophy and I cannot stand it.

Cuz, really, if I did what made me happy...there would never be any clean laundry, the dishes would be in huge piles in the kitchen (or more likely, all over the house), the kids would be little monsters cuz I would not take the time to discipline and guide them, I'd go shopping everyday and actually buy stuff (lots of stuff), and I would watch HGTV (if we had cable) all.day.long.

I'm just saying.

honestly, why do we think just doing what makes us happy is a good idea?

How about doing what makes God happy? It may not always be easy (especially at first), but I really believe we get true happiness, joy and peace out of living a life that pleases God...not just ourselves.

some verses to mull over:

Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Sydney goes to school

2011-07-27T18:38:00.000-06:00

We've enrolled Sydney in 4K.

Enrollment was way back in March and we finally today received our confirmation/placement letter.

We had checked out 3 of the 5 sites available in Manitowoc and I really wanted her to go to the YMCA site. I had worked there the first year that they introduced 4K to that site and really enjoyed the program and director. I also liked the extra opportunities that were available at the Y...swimming and gymnastics each week. Not to mention, it is only about 8 blocks away.

Thankfully, the Y it is.

I'm hoping, once I've recovered enough from the c-section, that we can walk there most days if the weather is nice.

I'm really hoping this will be a great experience for her. A good introduction to school, new experiences with other children, listening to adults other than mommy and daddy, and just an overall happy time for her.

then again...

quote of the day:

I'm not a big girl, I'm SYDNEY!!!

Proud Wife of . . .

2011-07-27T16:14:00.001-06:00

the new Produce Department Manager at Walmart . . .

AND

the new Assistant Pastor of Discipleship at Trinity Alliance Church.

Both of these new positions are a huge blessing and answer to prayer.

Wayne's new position at WalMart means a full 40 hours and a consitant schedule! I can look at a calendar 5 months from now and know exactly when Wayne is working. With his old schedule, I could barely remember what he was working the next day!

Wayne was hired June 1st (I know, I am really behind in the times right now) as the Assistant Pastor of Discipleship at our church. It is a very exciting developement in Wayne's goal of serving in a church full time. It is very part time, so he still works full time at walmart, but he has already been encourged and challenged in his new position.

it's a date

2011-07-21T08:11:00.002-06:00

August 12th

11am

see you there little one!

the driveway

2011-07-15T11:00:00.000-06:00

ok, so I don't mind

if people use our driveway to turn around in,

but it always gives me a small heart attack.

pleeeeeeeeease don't be someone from church...

I'm still in my pajamas...

and need a shower...

badly.

sydney's favorite verb

2011-07-15T10:57:00.002-06:00

not sure why, but

SOAKING

is sydney's new favorite descriptive word.

as in,

wow, that's soaking pretty!

this is soaking good!

you're soaking funny daddy!

and today's lunch time winner:

this is soaking yucky!

it should be noted that "soaking" was never used in reference to her diapers or her underwear when she had an accident the first few days of potty training.
Apparently the term "soaking" actually has little to nothing to do with any liquids real or imagined.

ode to the commode

2011-07-10T16:43:00.001-06:00

So, every once in a while the last year or so, I decided to try and potty train Sydney. It never went well and never lasted more than a day or two.

One of the more recent attempts began one morning when I was changing her overnight diaper and realized it was still dry. My theory was... How much longer can she hold it?

Apparently the answer was an hour and twenty minutes, because that is how long we sat on the toilet waiting for the 'pee-pee' to stop "hiding" ... Sydney's excuse when she cannot/will not go.

Two days later, she was dry again in the morning, so again, onto the toilet to await the arrival of the hiding pee-pees. That time she held out for just over 2 hours(!!!) and still had not gone on the toilet. I decided enough was enough and we were done.

Then, for some reason, we decided last week to try it again. I switched her to simple cotton trainers and prepared to have a ton of messes to clean up.

What I did not realise was the extent of the stubbornness possesed by our nearly 4 year old.

She held it in for 7-10 hours those first few days. The only time she pee'd each day was when we were playing outside. I could not believe she was able to hold it that long.

Finally, I think on the third day, she went on the toilet. She had been doing the 'gotta go' dance, and so I knew it was only a matter of time. It took 15 minutes of near panic-attack-like symptoms from Sydney, but she finally went.

After 6 days, we had only had 3 successes, but I was ok with that.

Then yesterday, she used the toilet without fussing! I had put her on the toilet and told her to try and go while I was putting elijah down for nap. She suddenly calls out, "mama, I did it!" I think to myself, yeah, right, but she did!

Then, after nap while cleaning up my crafting area, we found some old tickets from a kid carnaval we did at church last year. Sydney likes tickets and asked for one. I told her she could have one if she went on the potty. "Ok, I get a ticket," she tells me. "When you go pee-pee," I remind her. She then walks to the bathroom, gets on by herself and, after waiting a whopping 2 seconds, pees!

It can't really be that easy?

can it?

Apparently tickets speak to Sydney, because she went again today and I am hoping she will go again two more times...that's my goal.

(for the record, all types of reward type systems were attempted in the past and NOTHING worked. I'm really happy that things finally seem to be falling place for her to figure this out...cuz baby comes in less than 5 weeks, and she starts school in about 8 weeks.)

visit with grandma f. at the beach

2011-07-09T18:05:00.003-06:00

Parlor/Living Room Makeover

2011-07-03T15:31:00.003-06:00

The biggest project we have tackled yet!

Painting the living room and parlor room.

Seems so easy, simply painting the living room and parlor room.

Well, first we had to get rid of the dropped ceiling...and make a few holes in the process.

Sydney was my mesh tape helper.

She helped cut the tape while I held it. It took me three days just to tape and mud the areas I could reach in the living room. Sure, some of it was just the kids getting in the way or needing things, like food. :)

But most of it was due to the sheer amount of cracks in our plaster walls. While more were very small, if you just mud (no tape) they will crack through the new mud. So, each one needs tape, mud, sanding, mud, sanding, mud and finally sand.

We joked about needing mesh SHEETS instead of just mesh tape (wouldn't you know it, I actually found mesh sheets at Menards after we were done mudding.)

In addition to mudding cracks, there were the numerous nail holes to be filled.

Here's a picture of my favorite nail.

It's important to use the right size nail for any project...apparently the previous owers liked to cure meat in the living room.

Our awesome pastor came and helped us on two of his days off. He tackled the ceiling and Wayne did the upper walls where I could not reach. When completed, I noticed our living room ceiling looked like it had a cool abstract cartoon character.

I also worked on adding some trim to our built-in bookcase.

here it is without.

a few cuts with the miter box later, and...

tada! trim! This helped give the bookcase a start and end point on the wall. I wanted it left white and the rest of the wall painted my way cool accent color.

Some more of the "extreme mudding"

(sounds like a sports show on Spike)

Big gapping hole in parlor room patched and mudded

And, my ACCENT WALL!!!! well, in progress anyway.

I know what you're thinking. "It's a what!?! WHAT IS IT!!!" (rex from toy story)

It's a portion of Nairobi where I hung out when I went to town. The circles are round abouts and I just love how the streets (where I hung out) were not set on due north and south, making them a graphically interesting artwork.

Eventually, I want to find a cheap left over slab of some sort of stone counter top to put on the radiator to hold a few knick knacks and photos from our missions trips.

this is my accent wall. the main walls in both living room and parlor room are a soft yellow green (somewhere between a golden delicious and granny smith apple). On the one hand a bold color, but soft.

The accent wall (above) is a pretty accurate color picture. A medium, edgy green.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how the rooms turned out. I smile everytime I walk into them. They are the last big spaces to be changed. I am so happy that the places I spend the most time during the day are now reflecting my style. (pale, soft blue in a flat finish is just bleh).

on a "how to" note. We used Frog Tape to get the map on the wall. I've seen adds for it on TV and how it is supposed to be treated specially to not leak/bleed paint underneath it. Well...

womp, womp.

It did not work as promied and it cost at least twice as much as the old blue tape. Some places worked out nicely and were very crisp, but most bleed like above. While I'm sure some of it was user error, I would suggest not spending the extra money. (it also recommended removing and reapplying new tape for each coat of paint!?!?! who has time to do that?) so, anyway. it took quite a bit of touchup work, but I love my Nairobi map.

the inspiration for that came from an episode of Summer Showdown on HGTV a few years ago.

call me what you will...

2011-06-18T13:43:00.001-06:00

but those finger prickers for diabetes testing HURT!!!

I think appropriate pronouns would include:
Wimp
Baby
Sissy

Yup, gestational diabetes and I are going to become well aquanited with one another these last 8 weeks. I've got my gestational diabetes diet plan and finger pricker and an unanswerable craving for chocolate...specifically Kemps Double Fudge Moose Tracks Ice Cream.

Hmm...hopefully Self-Controlled is another noun I could be called.

Vacation in TN...final day...kids playing with lazer light

2011-06-11T20:55:00.001-06:00

Vacation in TN...final day

2011-06-11T20:51:00.002-06:00

Vacation in TN...Hard Rock Cafe and the Finger Dance

2011-06-11T20:47:00.000-06:00

Vacation in TN...

2011-06-11T20:37:00.000-06:00

All Together

At a "GEM MINE"

Scoop the dirt from your bucket into the sift.

Swish it around in the water, and ta-da, gems!

WOW, look at that winner!

(sydney is less than convinced, she saw the owner put it in)

Family time at the Gem Mine.

Vacation in TN...family pics

2011-06-11T20:28:00.000-06:00

Elijah loves his hat....like LOVES it.

Elijah and Mommy and the mountains.

Family

Family again

Vacation in TN...visiting a little petting zoo

2011-06-05T20:37:00.000-06:00

Going to the Exotic Petting Zoo...

Sydney getting scared...first of the goats, then of the braying donkey.

Daddy and Sydney leave the zoo...

Elijah checking out the goats.

Elijah likes the "big" until it starts to follow him along the fence.

Eric, Sarah and Elijah

Mommy and Elijah

Elijah trying to feed the cat his empty cup outside the zoo.

of course, playing with the gravel pile outside the zoo is pretty fun.

Sydney and Daddy got to feed fish in the little pond...so they still got to see the "Exotic" animals.

crashing after the zoo.

Cousin time in Sheboygan

2011-06-05T20:12:00.000-06:00

Sydney stealing the lime light from Elijah.

Kaemi and Sydney

Cousins...getting three kids to look the same way is really hard.

Sydney found a quarter on the beach.

Elijah walking out of the mist.

Finding a feather.

mom! enough already!

food goes in here

2011-04-21T21:10:00.000-06:00

in case there was any confusion

sydney's smiley face

2011-04-21T21:05:00.000-06:00

while I know she is at the age developmentally to draw faces, I've never actually seen her draw any before.

so it came as a big surprise to me when sydney came over and showed me her "two guys."

tag, it's your turn to not sleep

2011-04-20T20:19:00.000-06:00

that seems to be the game the kids are playing lately. which usually means that I also don't get to sleep either.

Elijah, a.k.a. Mr. 5am, has seemingly returned to almost normal. He has been sleeping til at least 6:30, sometimes 7:30...*sigh* those are glorious mornings.

Of course, this means someone must take up the slack of keeping mommy and daddy tired, and this task has been dutifully taken up by Sydney. We had a bad storm about a week or so ago (tornado warnings and everything) and we had to camp out in the basement for about a half hour...Sydney had a death grip on our little flashlight the whole time. All that night and for the next few nights, we had really bad wind gusts that made all our windows really rattle. Her bed, while next to the radiator for heat, is also located right under a window. So, she came into our room a few times each night and one night I just let her camp out with her blankets on our floor. This event has lead to an amazing amount of distain for her own room.

Every night, when it is bedtime, she insists on sleeping in mommy's room. "I no go Sydney's room, I go mommy's room." Last night she was up til 11pm. She kept coming out of her room and sneaking downstairs where Wayne and I were trying to watch a movie and just enjoy some mommy and daddy time alone. Tonight, we've spent over an hour sitting next to her bed just watching her try to fall asleep. It is Wayne's turn right now cuz mommy was going to lose her mind.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Mr. 5am and Miss I-no-sleep-in-my-room-ever-again do not do their little tricks at the same time, but it be nice if everyone took a break at the same time.

so, in honor of "sleep"....here is a little video I put together about a year and a half ago...another time when Sleep was very far away.

no, I'm not kidding

2011-04-01T09:04:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know it is april fools...I cannot help when I have time to post.

We had an ultrasound on March 28th. We want to find out the gender this time around (didn't with Sydney and Elijah). Well, during the beginning of the ultrasound, baby was soo wiggly that the tech could hardly get any good measurements. Finally, baby fell asleep and cooperated....until we wanted to find out the gender. Baby was sleeping with one folded up so the heel was parked right

in the way of everything!

The tech went back and did a few more measurements, hoping baby would shift and adjust. Baby did move a little...one quick leg stretch then back in the way the little heel went. thanks a lot!

We will be going back April 12 for another ultrasound...could not get great pictures of the heart and umbilical cord, so we get a second chance.

so for now,

It's a ............. stubborn baby.

what i've been up to lately

2011-03-26T19:32:00.000-06:00

more to follow, but just a quick few pictures cuz I am so dang proud of how it is turning out.

the front...twin size comforter/quilt

close up front

the back

close up of back: EVE's "plant" symbol and Sydney's hand print

close up of hand print: Yellow is actual, green is a tracing she did of her own hand.

attack dog, with a built-in force field

2011-03-18T16:20:00.000-06:00

that is what I need for my craft area....

or a lock on the door.

Thank you Elijah and Sydney.

the power of the shirt

2011-03-13T21:31:00.001-06:00

so, these are from a couple weeks ago...behold the power of suggestion as displayed with:

the maternity shirt.

I call them:

is she, or isn't she?

and

would you look at that glow!

taken on the same day a couple weeks ago by my wonderful hubby. 15 weeks at time of photo. due Aug. 17, 2011.

(you have no idea how hard it was not to "suck it in.") :)

and now: a temporary cognisance of location

2011-03-13T21:25:00.000-06:00

so apparently you need to be pathetic enough to blog about your lost camera and then it will magically appear the next day.

*sigh* so ridiculous.

well, I am now experiencing the "perfect storm" concerning my camera...all the pieces have aligned and are in place! The battery is fully charged and I have the battery charger, the USB cable and the camera...all in known locations.

proof of possesion.

a temporary non-cognisance of location

2011-03-12T09:30:00.001-06:00

Growing up, dad never lost anything.

He would never say that we were lost while driving.

His keys were never lost.

Nor his glasses.

He was merely experiencing a

Temporary Non-cognisance of Location.

Well, I'm wondering when "temorary non-cognisance of location" becomes truly and simply "lost."

I've had a TNL (temporary non-cognisance of location) concerning my camera for a few weeks now.

I know, I know, I should really put a leash on that thing. I've checked all the usual places as well as a few not so usual.

~purse

~jacket pocket

~couch cushions

~behind couch (elijah's favorite "hiding place" for mommy's things)

~desk

~ridiculously mess craft and guest room

and some not so normal places:

~behind washer

~under couch

~behind tv

~inside the dvd shelves

So, that is why my posts have been lacking. I like to have pics available for my viewing audience. oh well, here are a few old ones.

my super crunchy cloth diaper from last summer...notice I am holding it at the bottom and it is able to stay upright.

Elijah's favorite "aat" hat.

Sydney sleeping on the baby gym. This is also last summer, Sydney has been nuk-free since December. whew!

The bane of wayne's existance last summer, removing the clothes line pole.

Giveaway at Fitteds, Pockets and Snappis, oh my!

2011-02-24T10:41:00.000-06:00

ok, Maria at Fitteds, Pockets and Snappis, oh my! is hosting a great giveaway!

I LOVE her website. It is the only cloth diaper blog I check on a regular basis. . . like everyday.

She reviews cloth diapers, hosts giveaways, answers questions about cloth diapering and is all around a great lady to know.

The giveaway? A bumGenius 4.0, a Fuzzibunz pocket diaper, a Kissaluv's fitted, Flip cover, Grovia wipes, Thirsties wipe solution, and a Planet Wise wetbag!!!!

can you say AWESOME!

hurry on over and enter to win!

of course, if you win, I will be ridiculously jealous and expect a kick-back of some sort. lol, just kidding!

happy diapering and good luck!

something

2011-02-21T21:35:00.000-06:00

well, I gotta post about SOMETHING!

I would really like to post once or twice a week, but it just never seems to work out that way. :)

So, random post of the, umm, month...cloth diapers!

(yup, still going strong with the cloth diapers!)

We started when Elijah was 4 months and Sydney was almost 2 and a half. So, I've got plenty of mediums, but no smalls for the new baby. I'm planning on making some more for the newbie, but also know that a) newborns can go through 16+ diapers a day and b) most out grow 'newborn' size in 2 weeks, and out grow small by 4-6 months old, so some balance is needed. I need a lot of diapers, but they will be out grown really fast, so I don't want to spend too much time making so many diapers.

Solution: prefolds...the grand-mama of all diapers. :)

would you look at the tie-dyed awesomeness of these diapers!!!!!!

I snagged an awesome deal...

37 prefolds for 16 bucks, including shipping! YES!

of course, I also plan on sewing up some...with this fabric:

especially excited about these fabrics!!!

Sydney's Robot

2011-02-12T22:22:00.001-06:00

I asked sydney what in the world she was doing, and she said,

"I a robot!"

Plastic drawers for feet.
Awana Cubbie Puppets for hands.
Little CD Crate for head.

pretty clever.

Elijah's new do

2011-02-12T22:18:00.000-06:00

the boy had been needing a hair cut for a while (in my opinion)...but, I decided to try something new.

I think it's adorable!

add it to "The List"

2011-01-31T20:09:00.000-06:00

I'm addicted to rummage sales.

I know, I've got a few months ahead of me before I can do much about this addiction.

In the meanwhile, I content myself with making "The List" of things I want to make sure and look for over the many stops this coming rummage season.

bigger size winter jacket for Sydney

fuzzy picture, but Elijah is good for snow pants and has a next size up jacket...check that off

Wait a second.....

what the hey!

hmm...better add

gender appropriate boots for Elijah

although, he seems to be rockin' them just fine...

"say what you want...I know I'm cool"

a quick pic

2011-01-31T19:26:00.002-06:00

Elijah mooching cheetos off of Grandpa A.

"moore, moore!"

a brief lull

2011-01-31T19:23:00.000-06:00

sorry to leave you hanging...all three readers. :-D

the appointment went well. Since we are only 11 weeks along, they were not able to hear the heartbeat using the little doppler wand...which was actually a nice bonus because I got to see baby on a small ultrasound machine!!! What a mover and shaker this kiddo is!!!! holy cow! The doc literally could not get a good heartbeat reading because baby was moving and twisting around so much. Which is fine by me! I love my active little bean.

Even better is that we are almost out of the first trimester with it's nausea and constant gagging at nothing. (I cracked some eggs the other day for french toast. The yolk from one of the eggs touched my finger and I nearly ralphed all over the kitchen counter!) While I usually have really easy pregnancies, I'm definitely over the nausea. I find it helps to eat a little something....like every hour on the hour. Ok, a little something is actually a whole bowl of cereal...or two, or a bagel...or two. Yeah, I have not stepped on a scale in a few days because I am horrified at the number that may come up.

I still find myself thinking of baby Corey at random times and the what ifs. But, I am at a better place now. I acknowledge the feelings and bring them to God....and attempt to leave them there. Life is crazy, but God is good.

thursday

2011-01-17T22:37:00.000-06:00

Thursday we have our first doctor's appointment.

I can confess...I am nervous.

I feel like there is this battle of ideas inside me.

We could still miscarry the baby...
this appointment is around the same stage in the pregnancy as when we lost Corey.
There are no guarentees.
Don't dwell on the negative...enjoy the pregnancy...
while you have it.

It's not always easy,
I have to remind myself daily, that
GOD IS FAITHFUL
HE IS JUST
HE IS GOOD

He is LOVE

After losing Corey, the story of Job became very meaningful to me. This song by Casting Crowns, Praise you in this Storm, really speaks to me.
The opening line always hits me:
"I'd have thought by now, that You would have reached down,
and wiped our tears away. Stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say "Amen" and it's still rainning."

When God allows trials in our lives, we can easily get discouraged and even frustrated.
Pain seems to us somehow contrary to what we "know" about God.
It somehow seems 'wrong' that God does not immediately right our pains and hurts...especially those we seem to suffer 'unjustly.'
Like Job's friends, we offer cut and dry answers based on our own understanding and perspective.

I want to be like Job...
at the end of it all, God revealed Himself to Job...
all-knowing, awesome and just.

I hope that, whatever the outcome, I am able to praise God, trust Him and submit to His will.

Then Job replied to the LORD:

"I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
You ask, `Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I. And I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me.
You said, `Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.'
I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."
job 42:1-6 (NLT)

christmas presents

2011-01-14T21:09:00.001-06:00

christmas day...finally posted

the one sydney is most excited about...her little art kit. complete with crayons, markers, watercolor paints and safety scissors.

Elijah got some trucks to go with a little racetrack from grandma.

the second he got the wrapping off, he started pulling on the cars and yelling, "uck, uck!!" (stuck)

and

the big one-

Sydney's Wall-E Quilt

well, the center panel anyway...it's going to be a twin size blanket when it is all said and done, but between the pregnancy chaos and other christmas planning, I was not able to finish the quilt. Most of the quilt top is complete, it's just a matter of assembling it.

love me

2011-01-14T20:59:00.001-06:00

the pose

the cheeks

the staire

they all say,

you know you love me

lacking personality

2011-01-03T11:33:00.002-06:00

ok, so I know our blog has been lacking more personal posts with pictures lately, but I hope to get more up soon. our computer is a disease-ridden dinosaur and crashes constantly...especially when I try to work with photos. So, hopefully one of these days, I'll just power through the crashes and get some much needed photos up.

lightbulb moment

2011-01-02T20:47:00.000-06:00

We had our main floor bathroom remodeled last year. (Of course, by “we”, I mean “we” hired professionals who knew what they were doing to remodel our bathroom.) One of the many improvements was additional overhead lighting. Of course, being the age of conservation, some sort of energy saving bulb was installed on the main light. Mind you, we are not against energy saving or anything like that, but it was always a bit of a sore point that the bulb took quite a while to “warm up” to be bright enough to be useful, so we would often end up turning on the vanity lights as well.

Well, now many months later, Wayne had a “light bulb moment” on New Year ’s Day when he finally just took out the offending light bulb and replaced it with a brighter style. I came into the bathroom, he threw the switch and said, “It’s my house, I can change things if I want to!”

I don’t know why, but it struck me as kinda meaningful. I started thinking about making changes and just sort of “noodled” from there. (From the book, Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti, referring to how men and women think differently…men in boxes, each area in its place and separate, and women in long strands that connect and intertwine.) I thought of James 1:23-25 which talks about someone who looks at himself in the mirror, but then immediately “forgets” what he looks like and does not do a thing to fix his appearance. How often am I aware, or even complain, about faults within myself I do not like, yet do nothing to change it…kind of like that dumb light bulb we let irritate us for months on end without doing anything about it.

I don’t want to take this beyond it’s intended meaning, but I found it to be timely and thought I would share with you all. These verses from James are referring specifically to listening and obeying God’s Word, and I don’t know about you, but I find the Bible to be full of instruction in areas I wish to improve; parenting, relationships, godly living, and much more.

What is going on in your life that you are not fixing?

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:23-25)

ultrasound pics from 12/21

2011-01-01T23:17:00.001-06:00

ultrasound from 12/21/2010

5w6d...size of a blueberry

Comforted - No Small Miracle

2010-12-24T12:51:00.002-06:00

We are still pregnant!
(that's the short version...)

the Long Version goes like this:

Fri. Dec. 10...BFP (big fat positive) on a pregnancy test! After months of trying, I had finally decided to trust God with the timing and try not to obsess the timing of our family. I told Wayne by giving him a christmas snowman family ornament (the kind that you personalize) with a mom, dad and three little snowmen. what! he said, are we pregnant? yup. so excited and so overwhelmed! (it's funny how fast you can switch from we're having a baby! to oh, we need a mini-van, wayne will need to save up his vacation time, I'll have to get some newborn and small diapers, etc.) We had decided to wait until Feb. to tell family...two of the last four christmas's have had baby announcments, so we didn't want them to expect anything.

Wed. Dec. 15...I was giving the kids a bath, when I suddenly realized I was cramping pretty bad. I went to the ER that evening with lots of bleeding and cramps. the ultrasound didn't turn up anything definitive (which was kind of to be expected because we were only about 5 weeks long). Still, all my symptoms indicated a pending miscarriage. I have had one before, and this felt so similar, that I had no doubt in my mind that we were losing the baby. I even lost some rather large clots, again indicating a miscarriage. I went home and was told to come back in a couple days to do some blood work to confirm the pregnancy hormone (called hcg) numbers were going down appropriately. The paperwork I was given gave a diagnose of “Miscarriage Threatened”, but the doctor in the ER said it did not seem that this little baby was going to make it. I knew it was over, it was so like my first miscarriage, I had no doubts in my mind.

Thurs. Dec. 16...By morning my bleeding had nearly stopped, so it seemed that I was still retaining some "products of pregnancy" (love the medical terms, they are so cold). I talked with the doctor and he mentioned the possibility of needing a d&c if my body didn't expell everything naturally.

Fri. Dec. 17...Go in for my bloodwork...my poor veins didn't want to cooperate, so after getting gabbed in both arms, I finally had a finger prick to get some blood. I felt so light headed; I don't do blood or needles well. I heard back later in the afternoon...my hcg levels in the ER on Wed. had been at 3,300ish and my numbers today were 3,500ish...strangely up, but not the doubled numbers it should have been. Again, signaling a non-viable pregnancy.

Still, I was so confused. Why did my numbers go up? I reasoned maybe since my body was holding on to "pregnancy products" that maybe my numbers kept rising ever so slightly. I again asked about d&c, I didn't need one after my first miscarriage so I was not familiar with the process or how long we could try to wait for my body to figure it out naturally. I was told waiting over the weekend and for a little while would be ok.

I was to go in again on Monday for more blood work. Somewhere in the back of my desperate mind I had been thinking, maybe we were going to have twins and we lost one so the number going up is reflecting pregnancy, but the smaller up is the equaling out between twins. I obviously have no medical background, but I was so confused about the numbers. The funny part was that my doctor, without my mentioning it, brought up the twins thing also, but he also mentioned that in his 20+ years, he had only seen that twice. So, I had to go into the weekend wondering what was going on, but still figured I had miscarried and that I would have to deal with waiting for my body to figure out what had happened and to regulate itself for a while.

Mon. Dec. 20...Went in for blood work; this time we hit a vein right away, thank goodness. I was told that if I didn't hear back from the office by 4, to give a call. I finally had a moment to call, but got an answering service saying that calls made after 4:30 would be answered the following day! DAH! It was 4:29 when I called. Thankfully, a nurse got back to me a little later.

"Your number is 8,000something, which is the kind of number we like to see at this stage of pregnancy; doubling every 2-3 days. The doctor would like you to come in on Wed. so we can do another blood test just to confirm and have an ultrasound to check for a heartbeat."

A what!?! I was thinking, do these people have access to my full chart!?! I’ve had a miscarriage! Err, haven’t I?

“what is going on” I asked, “I thought we had a miscarriage.” Basically, I needed to come in so we could do some more investigation. We told family, whom we had told last Wednesday that we had miscarried, that maybe there was something after all and to please pray. I spent the evening in shock and tried to tell myself not to get too hopeful…that sounds aweful, but I wanted to be happily surprised, not broken down again. I told my husband I was pessimistically optimistic.

“The scheduling department will call you tomorrow to set up appointments for Wed.”

Tues. Dec. 21…There was no way I was going to make it until Wed. to find out what was going on, and Wayne had the day off, so we asked if there were any openings for UltraSound today. After a bit of checking around, we got an appointment at 12:30. Family was a little too far away, and it was too short of notice to ask church friends to watch kiddos, so we all went.

I get on the bed, and the ultrasound begins. The monitor was turned to face the tech., since she would be looking for ridiculously small stuff, I’m sure she needed to concentrate/have easy access to the screen. Wayne hovered over her shoulder, and I kind of gave him a pleading stare down…do you see anything? He nodded. Baby? Again, a nod. Heartbeat? Yes

I was shocked. I finally asked the tech if there was anything in there. Yes! After a few more minutes, she had finished her measurements and swung the screen around. I had decided last Wed., when I saw nothing on the screen, that seeing a little heartbeat and baby on a monitor is probably the best sight in the world during pregnancy. I was right. Baby is little more than a blob with a heartbeat, but it is our blob and we love it to pieces.

I forget the term she used, but the nurse thought that maybe all the bleeding and cramping last Wed. had been from a blood blister formed during implantation that had released.

Whatever the reason for all that bleeding, we have a baby again.

We have an estimated due date of Aug. 17, 2011.

the God of all comfort

2010-12-18T17:41:00.005-06:00

Sorry for the break in posts...I don't know where the time is getting to.

Because I know you all care for our family, I wanted to share with you and ask for your prayers.

I had another miscarriage this past Wednesday. We were only about 5 weeks along. I had just found out a few days before, but was already super excited and dreaming of feeling the kicks and prods I would feel from the inside. I had already begun making mental lists of all the things I would have to do.

It's amazing how we can know someone for so short a time, yet be completely in love.

I miss you baby.

The next day while listening to our local christian station, I heard the "Q Verse of the Day", 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, and knew I had all I needed, The God of All Comfort, and that this time would serve a purpose, to comfort others with the same comfort God has given me.

Jesus is my comfort.

Praise

be to the

God and Father

of our Lord

Jesus Christ,

the Father of compassion

and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles,

so that we can comfort those in any trouble

with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I've got my verse, and my song...

Rescue

We sang this song a lot in college and I always really liked it.

foundations

2010-11-21T17:57:00.002-06:00

1 Corinthians 3:10-15
But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have--Jesus Christ. Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value.
If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames.

Our missionary from missions conference shared the above verse with us this past sunday during his sermon. He told of a new construction building in the country where he works that had been undercontruction most of the four years his family had been there. It was recently discovered to have been constructed improperly and to be unfit for use. This huge, nearly complete building that changed the skyline and was meant to provide jobs and so much more, is useless as it currently stands.
He then shared the above verses.
As Christians, our lives and deeds are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Some deeds are like gold, silver and beautiful jewels. Some deeds are wood, hay, and straw. I have a 'sneaking suspicion' that many of my building projects lately have been of staw and hay...not even wood.
I sat in church thinking of how much I didn't want my deeds to be worthless and made of worthless things that have no lasting value. And then I realized I was still thinking of ME! sheesh, I am so messed up and self-centered.
Jesus, be the center, foundation, builder, finisher and completer of my life. Let your name be glorified.

2010-11-16T18:26:00.000-06:00

You must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.
You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15

inspired by openness

2010-11-10T15:11:00.000-06:00

is it ok for christians to struggle?
is it acceptable to be angry, frustrated, hurt, confused? at God?

This life on earth is hard...yet we spend so much time pretending that we've got it together! God has really been orchestrating events in our lives lately...conversations, sermons, songs, even blogs, to remind us of our need for Him in our daily life as well as our need of fellowwhip with other christians.
We're not lone ranger christians or superheros with no vulnerabilities.

A college friend of mine just posted about some of the struggles she has been having and I was so blessed to read it. While the details differ, I've felt a lot of those same emotions and struggles. I was inspired by her openness. For months now, I've been meaning to get more of myself onto the blog, but haven't had a chance. (Even now, I should be packing for a trip!) I've never been much of a journal person (except on missions trips), but am hoping that maybe posting more of my thoughts and what I am learning would be good for me and others as well.

I'm not the writer my friend is. I don't "have it all together" and I often forget to keep God's perspective in my life. But hopefully, in the next few weeks and months, I'll be able to allow God to work through some of the areas in my life that need serious fixing or replacing and post what I am learning.

One quick area is my need for companionship. I'm not talking about with my husband (although he is 1 of the 3 most important guys in my life [the others being my son and my father]), I'm talking about fellowship with other christians in the body. Sunday morning just isn't enough, and I am glad that I am realizing that! Still not sure what God is working on in this area of my life...what the end results will be, but so far I have been amazingly blessed to have found a few ladies online that I chat with here and there who also understand the significance and need of God in their lives. The worldly view of self as most important gets really old and discouraging...and impractical when you have little kids! It is refreshing to remember Jesus first and to learn to let all the other things in life fall into place based on a biblical worldview.

well, that turned out to be rather rambling, but as a female person, I think sometimes I just need to talk it out!

Kill Code

2010-10-12T09:37:00.000-06:00

I've got to share this funny story.

Over the summer, Wayne and I hosted a small group bible study called The Truth Project (awesome, by the way). It references a documentary called Unlocking the Mysteries of Life a few times in some of the segments. I thought it would be nice to watch this dvd as well and took the kids to the library one day to see if it was available.

I go to the row of computers used for the library catalog. I type in "Unlocking the Mysteries of Life," the computer begins to whirr and search, then...turned off! I thought hmm, must have had it's timer run out, or needs to reset. I go to the next computer down, type in "Unlocking the Mysteries of Life" and again, it begins to search, then turns off! I think to myself haha, it must be a kill code for the computers...or, it's a conspiracy, they don't want people to know the truth! hahaha.
I go to the next computer, and I am not lying, it does it again!!! Upon typing in "Unlocking the Mysteries of Life" the computer just dies! Holy Cow, it IS a kill code, it IS a conspiracy! Then I look down in time to see Sydney pushing the power button on the computer's tower which is stored below the computer table. Good grief...there's a conspiracy all right, it is named Sydney-Trouble-Maker. I quickly go back, turn all the computers back on, hoping they automatically reboot and go to the right page for catalog search and drag the kiddos to a more inconspicuous location with a library catalog computer, set Sydney on the table top itself so little fingers cannot cause porblems and type in my search words. whew, the computer lives!!!! But also does not have the documentary Unlocking the Mysteries of Life.

anderson family photo attempt

2010-10-10T21:01:00.001-06:00

So we have not had any good family photos in a long time...like 8 months long!

So, I wanted to take some nice photos today at church, we wore coordinating colors and I even remembered to charge the camera...but we didn't have time to grab anyone at church to take a few shots for us. Which means we had to use the timer for wayne and I and set the camera on the porch railing...it seemed to work ok for us...3 photos later, we had one that was good enough.

the kiddos on the other hand were another story...70 pictures later, these are what I got.

this one actually turned out cute as separate photos of the kids, cropped in close.

look this way...no, no, turn around...over here!!!

Ee-wy-jah...wook ober der!

elijah and daddy...awe, cute!

Sydney and mommy...awe, cute too!

sydney, smile normal!!! "cheeeeeese!!!"

come on!! can I get one nice picture of the both of you!!!

wrong way, guys!!!

I'm done!!!!

sad to say, but this is one of the better pictures because I can see both of their face and they are both in focus...maybe we'll try more next week.

Sept 25 grandma & grandpa kaemi visit

2010-10-10T20:12:00.001-06:00

Abby and Kaemi came to visit Grandma and Grandpa F., so the kiddos and I went down to visit as well.

Elijah and Grandpa hamming it up.

Trying to get all three kids to look the same way...never gonna happen. We went to a friend's house that had grown some enormous pumkins...200-600 lbs!

"Hey you kids, over here!!!"

Kaemi was mesmerized by the large pumkins, but spent most of her time hanging out by the little pumkins.

A little size perspective...Sydney and one of the largest pumkins.

below is the closest I got to all three kids looking the same way

After a while, Elijah and grandpa supervised from the side...

Then we went to a play ground.

"Elijah, come out!" You can't get me!

awww...grandparent love...

then we went out for some lunch...and some frozen dairy product (code words for ICE CREAM!)

Elijah definitely appreciated the handouts from grandpa...

...and while Kaemi was happy with her ice cream...

...she didn't seem to quite graps the proper cone technique.

That is not how you do it, Kaemi.

All in all, a fun and exciting day with the family.

coolest hat ever

2010-09-29T15:04:00.000-06:00

I saw a costume of the three eyed alien from Toy Story and thought, aww, that is soo cute, Elijah would look soo cool. I think I could make that hat...so I did.

SputnikFest

2010-09-29T13:55:00.000-06:00

You read right,

SputnikFest.

In 1962, a chunk of Sputnik fell onto a street in Manitowoc. It was dismissed by local police at first as being some slag from a local foundry. They later connected it with the burn-up of Sputnik IV. The next year, a metal ring was embedded in the road to mark it's landing.

A few years ago, some locals thought it would be funny to commemorate Manitowoc's link with the space age with a festival...so, this year was the 3rd annual SputnikFest. And yes, it is supposed to be cheesey and funny. Activities included space pet costume contest, cake decorating contest and even a Miss Space Debris Pagent. Hey, I told you it was cheesey.

Still, we had a fun time attending SputnikFest earlier this month, and thought I'd share a few pics.

There's where it landed...the white paint is the lane marker, so the festival, which closed down the street, is one of your few options to get an up close and personal picture of history!

I say, a LOG-PULLER!!!

2010-09-09T14:04:00.000-06:00

The title is for my dad. :-) A good Fletcher will know what movie this quote is from.

Can you fit a tree into your car? Specifically a Chevy Cavalier? Well, we can fit a tree into our car.

It started with this maple-ish tree in the front yard.

It was stuck growing up shadowed and practically under two enormous evergreens that are probably in the 40 ft tall range. It was a poor looking thing that was growing all wonky due to lack of sunlight and the imposing evergreens. So, we cut her down.

yup, even I helped.

love the oh so stylish head gear!

grrr, cut you dull blade!

the peanut (or rather cheerio) gallery was safe on the sidewalk in front of our house. (yes, that is sydney with a swim ring and bath ducky in a office chair in our front yard in 58 degree weather).

Our car was the LOG-PULLER of the day.

Elijah Taking a Few Steps

2010-09-08T22:01:00.000-06:00

Isn't Sydney a great little helper?

Kites Over Lake Michigan

2010-09-08T19:57:00.000-06:00

Went to visit with Great Grandma Z at

Kites over Lake Michigan.

Lots of Sand

And lots of people and kites.

See the large kite in the distance hovering over the crowd?

It's an 88 foot long octopus kite.

Elijah is ONE!!

2010-08-25T14:22:00.000-06:00

It's my birthday today...cheeeeeese.

the sun is really bright, mom

fuzzy, but adorable

home is that way, right?

Sydney in pink at 1 year, Elijah at 1 year

She had just broke her FIRST tooth, Elijah has had 8 teeth for a few months now

My lil babies are growin' up.

Birthday Party

2010-08-22T16:56:00.000-06:00

more to follow, but here is just a few pics to get us started.

Blog for Little Red Parkas

2010-08-13T10:15:00.002-06:00

Whew, it took a lot of work and there is still much more to come, but here is a blog I started for Little Red Parkas.

Check it out!

Little Red Parkas

Little Red Parkas Premier Coming Soon and God's work in my life

2010-08-08T18:04:00.000-06:00

Touched Twice is a FREE clinic that is hosted by the Christian community of Manitowoc County on Sat. Aug 14th, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Faith Church. This will be the location of Little Red Parkas' outreach premier!
Please keep me and the other volunteers in your prayers as we minister physically with the many people who come through. That we would be alert to divine opportunities and seize the moment with words of truth and love.
In preparing for this, I have been putting together a science fair style board to promote the cloth diapers, making a powerpoint to loop through during the day and trying to get together some nice cloth diapers to demonstrate. (I don't know how many people will want to see my very used diapers, hahaha). I've become a little,ok a lot!, obsessed with finding a way to get good, name brand cloth diapers and have failed at every attempt. So when a new cloth diaper store opened in Appleton (an hour away), I was pretty excited to have a more "local" option to be able to refer moms to. I think I nearly peed my pants with excitement (just a figure of speech people, don't worry! hahaha) when I saw that they were going to be doing some giveaways! (ek!!)
I would check the site ridiculously often to see when the giveaways, via a trivia question, would happen. Most of the time, by the time I saw that there was a new question, it had been answered several times already. I nearly had a panic attack when I saw a trivia question that had NOT been answered. :) I quickly typed in an answer and...AH!...I made it, I was the first answer by 40 seconds! Whew...then, suddenly the other mom posted an altered answer to her previous post. dun, dun, dunnnn. I was wrong. I did not have the "official" name that they were looking for. It sounds dumb, but I almost cried. I had become soo wrapped up in trying to get diapers that it hit me very personally that I had the wrong answer. Well, I accepted my defeat (albeit, rather grumpily) and huffed a little bit. I gave it up and, rather harshly, told God that He would have to take care of it then.
A few minutes later, I got a response from the store saying they decided to take my answer too and we both won a cloth diaper. Then I did cry. I know...the things we put ourselves through...and for what? Is God not still in control...whether it is a silly cloth diaper or a deep serious need? (Let the record show, that God would still have been in control had I NOT recieved the diaper. For some strange reason He decided to bless this selfish child knowing it would be a wake up call.) Well, when I found out I was to recieve a diaper, I sent a thank you and oh, how exciting note to the store and mentioned that I was going to be using the diaper as a demo for varios classes I hope to hold. I recieved another email back asking if I would be willing to hand out flyers about cloth diapering and if so, they would throw in another free diaper. Well sure, I said. I've got this really bid demo coming up (touched twice) and I had been hoping to ask them to sponsor a diaper anyway and would love some literature to hand out. Long story short, upon hearing about how big Touched Twice was going to be and about my other plans for future demos, this brand new cloth diaper store gave me the most amazing set of sample cloth diapers to display...way more than I ever could have imagined.
Then I cried even more. I am soo unworthy. Thank you Jesus for your abundant love and faithfulness.

Birthday Party Planning

2010-07-28T12:56:00.000-06:00

Sydney turns 3 on Aug. 10th and Elijah turns 1 on Aug. 25th. Since they are little and don't have much of an opinion on the matter, we are have a double birthday party. Sydney is still in love with Wall-E and and Elijah, well, likes whatever...so they are having a robot themed birthday party. It should be lots of fun. At first I was just planning on inviting family and grilling out, but now I've invited a few families and we could have up to 16 kids ages 1-8 if everyone can come! I know, I am crazy.

I've got some super awesome ideas for activity/games for the kids and can't wait for everyone to come and enjoy themselves. I've got "robot" names for the kids (ie. instead of Andrew, Android....or instead of Paul, Paultron...simple changes like that), super cool robot acronyms for Sydney, Elijah and special relatives (I can't reveal those yet, because I want them to be a surprize). The kids will get to make a robot costume with their robot names on it and fun buttons. They also will make a neat little robot picture holder out of oversized clothespins.

I'm making Sydney's present now. It is inspired by the Wall-E fabric above. I found this a few months back at a fabric store and just had to buy it. I thought maybe I'd make a little pillow case out if it (it is a real small piece, that last in the store). Then I thought I would make a simple blanekt with this fabric in the center. Then I must have had too much mellow yellow or been up really late at night when your rational mind is sleeping, because I decided to make a twin size quilt with a large Wall-E and EVE robot embellished in the center. Yeah, total insanity.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Elijah 11 months

2010-07-28T12:37:00.000-06:00

Down to the Car Ferry Landing again for Elijah's 11 month pictures.

Sydney at 11 months.

Little Red Parkas

2010-07-17T14:14:00.001-06:00

So, I'm attempting to get a mom's support group going.

I know...as if I am not busy enough already...what am I thinking...

Well, actually, I am thinking a lot. I want to organize a very loose meeting of mothers of young children to meet once a month-ish and talk about topics as based on a poem from the Bible about a godly wife, often called the The Virtuous Woman or the Proverbs 31 Woman. I'd pick a verse(s), and branch out a topic from there.

For example, verse 15 says: She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. From there we might talk about favorite, easy meals, or that month of meals/freezer cooking concept, or how to make your own baby food. (notice we are not talking about getting up while it is still dark...are you kidding? it starts getting light around 5 am here in the summer!   hahahaha, just kidding)

Some topics would be on the practical aspects of life and family, like above. Others may be on the spiritual aspects, like verses 30, a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised, or verse 26 She speaks wisdom.   I mentioned in a previous post (good and not harm) about verses 10 and 11 and their reference to the marriage relationship.

I want to call the group Little Red Parkas. I came up with that name based on verse 21 which says, When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for all of them are clothed in scarlet. The Virtuous Woman in this poem is an example of godly, wise and practical living. She is prepared, as in verse 21, for the seasons of her life and family. She has planned ahead, thinking of the needs of her family and herself. They are clothed in scarlet, or some translations say warm clothing. This is in direct contrast to the worldview of many people. Many people tend to live only for today and themselves. In my mind I starting thinking of that as the Little Black Dress mentality. I think I had been looking at too many celebrity magazines in the break room when this idea came to me, but it seemed that it was such a fitting analogy. The Little Black Dress Mentality is all about me and how good I look and how much I deserve to do whatever I want. (disclaimer: I am NOT saying that if you own a little black dress that you are thinking this way...again, this is a metaphor.) The Little Black Dress seems to be such a status symbol, sign of accomplishment and extravagance.

The Virtuous Woman is clothed in "strength and dignity" and she speaks with "righteousness" and "faithful instruction." (vs. 25,26).  When winter comes, her family is 'clothed in scarlet.' With her wisdom and hard work she helped provide for the needs of her family. They are clothed in practical, yet stylish clothing. (Red dyed clothing was a sort of status symbol at that time, it was a more expensive color to create). I started picturing red winter jackets in my mind and came up with the name Little Red Parkas in contrast to the Little Black Dress.

Simply put, purpose of Little Red Parkas is to discuss spiritual living, relationships, and practical living. With the practical living aspect, I want to reach out into the community.

As you know, I've been cloth diapering Sydney and Elijah for several months now and have actually come to enjoy it...especially the financial aspects of it. I've probably spent about $200 on diapers, covers and fabric for making diapers. We have enough diapers for Sydney and Elijah and more than enough fabric for larger sizes for them and smaller sizes for any future babies. These diapers will last until both kids are potty trained. I think many people, if they saw what modern cloth diapers are like and learn about the financial benefits, would give cloth diapering a try.

With that in mind, I have contacted a church outreach program, the local pregnancy center, and the Health Department pitching my idea for a cloth diaper demo class. I've already got one "demo" coming up next month...I'll let you know how it goes. I've also contacted two major cloth diaper companies, explained my concept and actually requested a cloth diaper or two along with some literature. We'll see how that goes.

I am so excited about these demos in the community. I really hope this can be a way to ease some financial worries for some families and maybe lead into other conversations as well.

Whew, that was long, but I hope you can all be excited with me and pray for the women I will be in contact with.

farmer's market

2010-07-11T20:31:00.001-06:00

Elijah, Sydney and I went to the farmer's market last week. while walking around all the delicious veggies and flowers......

.........we bought kettle corn.

sensory overload

2010-07-11T20:22:00.002-06:00

During our visit with the grandparents last month, we went to the Game Room at a local resturant...you know, tons of blinking lights and beeping machines and loud kids.......

.....and serious sensory overload.

Sydney had won a bunch of tokens to the Game Room and so we played...mostly she did not have a clue what was going on...but she really enjoyed a motorcycle racing game where there was a "real" motorcycle that she could sit on and lean to drive. Grandpa and I helped her steer and we all laughed and had a great time.

And...a large amount of tokens later...

large goofy sunglasses and a couple of pinwheels were Sydney's favorite prizes.

very belated birthdays...

2010-07-10T18:44:00.001-06:00

so, last month was my brother Jonathan's birthday, my mom's birthday, wayne's dad's birthday, my bro-in-law Eric's birthday and Wayne's birthday. (let the record show that only three of the above mentioned people recieved presents [sorry...i am a bum] and only 1 of the three actually got their gift on their birthday. [a huge bum]).

But enough about my bum-y-ness...we had a great time at my parents house last month with the family.

There is the whole gang...minus my cuzin Justin...someone always has to be behind the camera.

My dad and Sydney have a very special relationship and tons of games and activities that only they can do together. For example: playing "telephone" with the downspout extensions.

Do you hear something, Kaemi?

Hello?

"the whole conversation"

the grandparents and grandbabies....

and yes this is the best picture. :)

so, all good fletchers have a slight.........ok, excessive........addiction to cereal. We could go through a box a day easily and proably a gallon of milk as well. My brother, Jonathan, is no exception. He and his wife recently moved to MN and have not been able to find his favorite cereal...Honey Buzzers....a generic knock-off of Honey Comb. Feeling bad for him and his terrible plight, nearly everyone got him a bag or two of Honey Buzzers...and several bags of skittles, another favorite.

Since returning from a tour of duty in the army, Jonathan puts ketchup, and lots of it, onto everything. So, mom found him the awesomest (most awesome?) t-shirt.

I PUT KETCHUP ON MY KETCHUP.

new toy

2010-07-10T14:41:00.000-06:00

We got one of those cool Little Tikes cube slides from craigslist.com about a month ago. It is super awesome.

in case you didn't know, craigslist is way cool. we got this slide for $25....sweet deal! (craigslist is free-to-list online classified ads. you can find some great deals there...like our awesome cube slide!!!)

[the anderson family was in no way compensated for their promotion of craigslist.com...........but we should be!!! hahaha]

sudden visit with grandma z

2010-07-10T13:57:00.001-06:00

We spure of the moment decided to drive up to Green Bay to visit my (naomi's) Grandma since my mom was going up there also.
We had a good time at a park near grandma's house and Sydney enjoyed showing us how all the playground equipment worked.

wheee!!! Ride it like this great-grandma!

up, down, up, down

baby jail

another little girl at the park told sydney

"now you are stuck in there forever"

Sydney just looked at her and crawled out.

daddy and kiddos on the whirly-go-hurly

Great Grandma and Elijah

sydney's sand table

2010-06-25T21:12:00.004-06:00

Sydney likes sand.....................

.........................specifically a lot.

And anthills.

So, we made her a sand table.

Elijah 10 Months

2010-06-25T19:53:00.005-06:00

Boy-Wonder had trouble "posing" for his 10 month pictures.

I found what I thought was an interesting backdrop down by the harbor and set him up on top of a half-wall that runs along a sidewalk. But he wouldn't look up.

He was too busy poking the little pock-marks in the concrete.

ooooh, hole.

Then apparently it was too sunny.

squint

We live in Manitowoc, WI on Lake Michigan and there is a large ferry boat that goes from here to Ludington, MI. I thought it would be cool to have that in the background as it came into the harbor. Believe it or not, the boat is right behind Elijah's head. He leaned forward at just the "right moment" and totally blocked the boat.

I shot this photo just a moment later. move your head, little man! :)

where's the boat?

Elijah 10 months...where did the time go?

and Sydney at 10 months...what a peanut

i'm losing it

2010-06-25T12:46:00.002-06:00

what am I losing!?!

JUNE!!

where in the world did June go? I've been looking forward to nicer weather, going for more walks with kiddos and just being summery. and now June is nearly over already!!!

I need to make a better schedule for my day and specifically plan out special trips (to the local zoo or to a fun park) and daily things (both necessary and fun [like cleaning and walks). I think I'm gonna do that after this post.

June is just busy.
Wayne's dad's birthday
Jon & Abby's anniversary
Jon's birthday
Father's Day
Wayne's Birthday
my Mom's Birthday
Eric's birthday
and I am sure there is more that I forgot......but you get the idea.

later today (hopefully) I've got to post Elijah's 10 month pictures...I know he's getting so big!!!

My Dad - Steve Fletcher

2010-06-21T15:09:00.007-06:00

So, I know I am a day late, but here goes anyway....

Yesterday was Father's Day...

And, in honor of this special day, I want all of you out there to know how much I love my dad.

My dad and me ... obviously a few years ago.

The Fletcher Household was an interesting place to grow up. There was always lots of noise, laughter and crazy family antics going on. Fletchers are especially good story tellers....and truth enhancers. We always joke that any story worth telling has to include sound effects, theme songs or movie quotes.

Here are some of the more popular quotes used by the Fletcher family:

"You sure know how to hydrate a pizza." - Back to the Future II

-This one is a favorite for my dad to say to my mom at mealtime.

"I'll take the cheh-per chicken." - Father of the Bride

-Used when comparing prices of just about anything.

"You can't always get what you wa-ant." - Rolling Stones song

-Used many times growing up to explain the concept of....well....not always being able to get what you want.

"They say toupe is very soothing." - Ocean's Eleven

-This comment often comes up when my mom is trying to decide which of 7 different shades of blue (which all look the same to my dad) looks better for a new paint job.

My Dad's personal phrase-isms - phrases that he invented

"I am not lost, I just have temporary non-cognisance of location."

Used when lost while driving or when something like the keys are lost.

"Do my monosyllabic profundities bore you?"

I think dad borrowed this one from his dad... Ronald Fletcher who was also a connoisseur of sound effects, songs and interesting phrases.

I want to leave you all with one of the most important things my dad has taught me.

"I have no problems, only opportunities."

Wayne and my dad in our upstairs bathroom do it ourselves remodel.......lets just say there were a LOT of opportunities in this bathroom.

This was often used jokingly around the house. If something was going wrong, mom would ask, "What is the problem," or something to that effect, to which dad would answer, "I have no problems, only opportunities." As a kid, I understood this phrase to an extent. Problem implies a negitive while opportunity implies a positive.

Strange as it may seem, as an adult, I have really come to appreciate this phrase. Life is hard...very hard at times. If we are not careful, we can allow the "problems" of this world overwhelm us. But, we can choose to view situations as an opportunity, a chance to excersize our faith and trust Jesus during difficult times.
I sometimes think of Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego (I know, I am odd). But they are the perfect example of seeing a very serious problem as an opportunity. When threated with being thrown into a fire unless they bowed down to an idol, they said, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." Faced with certain death, they held this as an opportunity to present their faith in God and His power over the king.
While I doubt my dad had all that in mind during the many times he has used this phrase, it is still a great example to me for all the times in life that my dad has chosen to see the positive and press on.

Thanks Dad, Happy Father's Day.

proud wife to a handsome new CSM

2010-06-09T20:44:00.004-06:00

Wayne is now the newest Customer Service Manager at WalMart in Manitowoc!

YEAHYEAHYEAH

He will be over the cashiers and the service desk. He has a lot more responsibility and areas to cover.

...but the coolest part is that he gets to wear a walkie-talkie. :)

the yard from somewhere diabolical

2010-06-04T21:24:00.002-06:00

I finally stuck our poor raspberry and strawberry plants in the ground in the backyard. They've been living in a bucket and a plastic tote next to the garage for a few months now and were desparate to be planted. (although, I have to say that the strawberry plant was actually thriving quite well in it's tote...blossoming and everything).
As I was digging up the ground... "holy rusted metal, batman." old screwdrivers, metal pegboard hooks, brackets, hooks and huge nails.

there is even a circular saw blade

listening

2010-06-04T21:09:00.003-06:00

Sydney had gotten up from her nap, for the third time. "Go back to bed," I told her.

ahh...the silence.

what? you mean your toddler does not simply go to bed by herself when told?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
mine either.

apparently we've got to work on listening

anyone else got this problem?

2010-06-04T20:35:00.002-06:00

love our house...but the cell phone reception is terrible.

my mom was on the trail of a double jogger stroller (haha, ah, no...i will not be 'jogging,' i just prefer the large tire style wheels over plaz-tec). i wanted to make sure i got her call and could talk about the stroller. but of course, poor reception.

so.....after walking around the house watching my 'bars' disappear and reapear, i finally found the perfect location...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

what? it worked

sweet dreams and sweet potatoes

2010-06-04T20:27:00.003-06:00

Poor Elijah baby. He was eating his yummer sweet potatoes...and crying. I went to check on Sydeny quick and the crying stopped. oh good, I thought, he stopped crying, I can quick do one more thing, then clean him up for his nap.

When I got back....this:

good, and not harm

2010-05-29T21:13:00.004-06:00

I was always very self-confident and rather arrogant in my thinking while growing up...especially in the area of relationships, particularly with the opposite sex. I didn't need anybody or anything...I can open my own door, thank you very much! The idea that I had a 'role' to 'play' did not sit well with me. I felt I didn't need a man, I'm going to do what I am going to do, so look out, any man who gets in my way!

In the past, whenever I read from Proverbs 31, I could almost literally hear 1950's music playing in the back of my mind. Now, as I read these words, I am so convicted and desparate to be what they describe.

Nearly everyone knows verse 10, which says: "A wife of noble character, who can find? For she is worth far more than rubies." It is a beautiful verse commending the godly wife and her value in the eyes of her husband.

But what about the following two verses?

Verses 11-12:

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

These are the words that haunt and inspire.

Not that I must do all the things listed in this poem to somehow become a wife of noble character; rather, because I have God's call on my life and I want to serve God, these actions want to pour out of me and I desire to strive to be and do these things for my husband...to truly be his helpmate. To speak words of encouragement and blessing and love. To be a help and not a hindrance in his daily walk with God.
To bring him good all the days of my life.

maybe we'll just marinate on that one for a while.

we're reading some excellent marrige books that I highly recommend, for good marriages and rocky ones alike. Love and Respect and The Love Dare.

Elijah 9 months

2010-05-26T20:48:00.001-06:00

I see you

you know you love me

spreading the dandelion love

2010-05-26T20:42:00.001-06:00

mowing the lawn

2010-05-26T20:32:00.002-06:00

you want to make sure and give your lawn plenty of time to grow in the spring before you give it it's first mowing. it helps establish the roots and promotes growth and . . . ok, i just made that up, i don't really know if all that is true.
...but if it is, i doubt they meant for the lawn to be this tall.

deep within

wayne's "office" remodel

2010-05-26T20:07:00.004-06:00

It's amazing what a coat of paint will do.

Painted Wayne's fake wood paneled office walls a light gray.

and of course the mess in the middle of the office while we paint. (next time we buy a house [and have more money and time than we know what to do with] we are painting the whole shee-bang BEFORE we move in. moving around one's jun...i mean...stuff, is really annoying)

Painted the built-in cabinet in our 'parlor' room white to match the trimwork.

and Sydney flying through.

Elijah hanging out in the pack and play...I think this is actually while we gave Grandpa Fletcher a quick visit. Either way, have cheerios, will travel.

rummage - o - rama

2010-05-17T14:45:00.004-06:00

I love spring and summer.

That is when all the rummage sales start.

Wayne and I got to spend several hours together 'shopping' at the best city rummage sale. Almost 1 in 3 houses had a sale. We parked our car at one end of town and literally walked through probably 5 miles of city streets finding great deals.

Here are just some of the great outfits we got for the kids.

All this for just $2!!!

I even found some prefolds (cloth diapers) and covers at the last rummage we looked at.

And I bought a bunch of t-shirts and a flannel blanket or two.

I am experiementing with a new cloth diaper pattern that I want to create for young moms who want (need) to try cloth diapering but are on a very tight budget. (This is a part of a young mother's support group I am attempting to put together...I call it Little Red Parkas...more about that another time).

We bought a "Playhut" at the first rummage we stopped at. Wayne was the most excited about this purchase...I think Sydney likes it too. $15!!!

I love summer...for other reasons also...but rummaging is up there at the top, too.

sights and sounds of our house

2010-05-07T17:27:00.002-06:00

a visit from Veggie Tales...sort of

2010-05-06T18:09:00.002-06:00

I've never seen asperagus in the 'wild'...

they are quite big

they are a little hard to see, but theyare to the right of sydney

little things

2010-05-05T23:16:00.001-06:00

flowers round our home

2010-05-05T20:41:00.001-06:00

this is how i roll

2010-05-05T20:36:00.002-06:00

70 degrees and sunny, Sydney is sporting her beloved purple boots and umbrella.

elijah hanging on for dear life

Sydney having a stomp on a stump.

first boo-boo's of the spring

2010-05-05T20:06:00.003-06:00

see sydney...

see sydney run...

run, sydney, run..

splat...

if i NEVER step on another cheerio....it'll be too soon

2010-04-25T18:26:00.001-06:00

i've got enough cheerios on my floor to feed a small island nation ...

or one red-eyed 8 month old.